[AAACE-NLA] Skills for Life - the UK language, literacy and numeracy strategy

[Thomas Sticht]

Here is more information relevant to basic skills initiatives in the
United Kingdom.
The article appears online at:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/further/story/0,5500,1216123,00.html
Tom Sticht

Education Guardian Further education news

Staff shortages hit basic skills targets

Sophie Morris
Friday May 14, 2004

Serious staff shortages are proving a major setback in the race to meet
government targets for adult literacy and numeracy, according to a survey
published today.

The report, compiled by the Times Education Supplement (TES) and the
National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), points at
critically high levels of understaffing in colleges and adult training
centres - around two thirds are struggling to provide teachers.

As a result, many rely upon under-qualified part-time tutors in their
efforts to provide basic literacy and numeracy classes and fulfil
government targets. Around 40% of all basic skills teachers are paid by
the hour or on part-time contracts, 10% higher than in other subject
areas.

The worst teaching deficit was found to be in basic numeracy skills, with
71% of all institutions - including work-based learning schemes -
reporting shortages. Literacy came a close second, with 70% admitting
staffing difficulties.

The survey also revealed that adult participation in education was at an
all-time low. At just 19%, the participation rate is the lowest since
Labour came to power in 1997.

The skills minister, Ivan Lewis, told the TES: "Your survey exposes that
there's a cultural issue to be addressed. Probably the greatest challenge
for workforce development is to make sure we have people on the front
line. Every college should do an audit of its staff to see which of them
has these skills. It may be that there are quite a number of people who
could go into this work."

The government's basic skills targets aim to reach 1.5 million of the
country's 6.8 million illiterate adults by 2007. It also intends for
750,000 of these to have obtained a basic skills qualification by the end
of 2004.